Fedor vs. Sylvia confirmed

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UFC Unleashed tonight at 9 p.m. has the Tyson Griffin vs. Clay Guida match of the year candidate plus the second Forest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar match, which was not the match of the year winner. Matt Brown vs. Jeremy May will open Ultimate Fighter, which has two fights tonight at 10 p.m.

This week in the Observer, in two issues, we've got a look at WWE going forward with the new angles that are being started, the HHH title win, the attempt at water cooler talk television, as well as almost an "Inside the writers room" story looking at the issue of race, Michael Hayes and the thoughts of several people who worked with him on what went down. This is a very detailed article, with a multitude of different views. It examines racism vs. ethnic promotion, racial slurs and their history in pro wrestling, how prevalent it was in WWE and even the McMahons reactions when Hayes made certain jokes. We also look at how wrestling benefits as far as bad publicity from something like this and how it would be so different if the same situation took place in another sport or major entertainment form.

We also have an update on UFC cuts, including some names that have yet to surface, including a fighter who holds wins over two of the companies current biggest stars.

We also have complete coverage of Backlash as well as several major international events that took place this past week, including the major title changes in Japan and the story behind them, and NOAH's attempt to follow in the footsteps of what was once one of the highlights of the year, the annual tag team tournament. We also look at what appears to be the early direction from Judgment Day, Backlash business, match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

Our story on Hayes, racial remarks in pro wrestling in general, and how it has led to a lot of upset current wrestlers at times, as well as been an issue with people working in the company. We look at how prevalent it has been, when in recent years and lesson should have been learned and why, but why it also continued. We look at the media coverage, the N word in pro wrestling. We have many different and contradictory reactions from people who had worked closely with Hayes on their view, as well as a look at division among those who have worked in WWE. We look at different angles in the past, drawing African-Americans to wrestling matches and how that aspect of wrestling is very different from the heyday of Hayes the wrestler.

We look at moves WWE has made in recent months concerning African-American wrestlers and different viewpoints on them, as well as how Mark Henry's past and a recent gimmick may figure into the story, along with how Henry is being viewed.

We also have notes from backstage at the WWE show in Atlantic City when the announcers walked off the set. It's quite an interesting story of how it went down.

We also have what would be, by far, the biggest financial risk ever taken by a major promoter in a move by Lorenzo & Frank Fertitta this past week. We look at how, as the leaders of the MMA industry, this may affect the business down the road.

We've got more business notes on the St. Pierre-Serra match, including a preliminary look at some PPV numbers, other numbers and more important, the very important point that these numbers mean.

We've also got a story on the WWE Hall of Fame and Wrestlemania 25. We look at different names that will be brought up and analyze their chances. We also look at how ownership of tape collections impact the process as well as the time line of when careers were strong and what parts of the country when talking about one of the real legends inside the business whose name has come up. We also look back at a list of those considered in the past with updated thoughts. We also look at a half-dozen names that are absolutely necessary to be inducted if the Hall of Fame is meant to be taken seriously. We also look at the history of the Hall of Fame, those in and what categories they fit into.

We also have our 2008 WWE roster directory with all the wrestlers on the current roster with real names and ages.

We also have more thoughts on the Smackdown date decision made by MyNetwork TV, as well as more on WWE business in Europe and an update on a steroid case and a police investigation and where companies names are involved.

We've got notes on the Triple Crown and IWGP title changes this past week, what the goal was for the changes that were at different ends of the spectrum, as well as other notes on both promotions' big shows.

We also have a report on the second Dream show, including why the middleweight tournament was booked the way it was, but also why even though the right people won, a monkey wrench was thrown by one of the fighters.

We also have our usual weekly features including major TV show reviews, results from the major league house shows as well as the most detailed look at television ratings including how every segment on Raw and Impact gained and lost viewers so you can see what things people were and weren't interested in.

Each usual weekly issue of the Observer ranges from 25,000 to 35,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA all over the world.

Every weekly issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sites and has the most complete look at the business as a whole anywhere. The Observer is now in its 27th year of being the leading insider pro wrestling publication in the world. The biggest and most influential names in the industry, both from bookers, to promoters to Hall of Fame wrestlers and fighters to the biggest current names, both on camera, and behind the scenes, along with thousands of readers in all 50 states and 30 countries subscribe. Many have subscribed as long as 20 years or more straight. They get the most detailed and inside coverage of what is going on all over the world and an accuracy from having the most inside sources that can't be found on the web. Everyone from Wall Street to the major offices to the TV networks in U.S. and Japan turn to the Observer for what is going on in the business.

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today. With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today. Just send your Visa or Master Card order with your name, address, phone number, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or you can order by faxing that information to 408-244-3402. You can also subscribe via paypal at www.paypal.com and using the This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it address or subscribe via check, cash or money order, as well as credit card, by mail, by sending to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228.

Also in the issue:

-- Former WWE Diva, looking completely different, working as a model

-- Tentative format for upcoming PPV show and why

-- Funny story on a celebrity trying to hit on a prominent WWE personality

-- Next WWE star in a Playboy

-- Best selling wrestling and MMA DVDs

-- Update on WWE CD

-- What Flair said to Regal before their last match

-- Regal talks about the best young wrestlers in the game and talks about people outside the company

-- A match said to be as heated as any this year and why

-- More on return to wrestling of Ultimate Warrior and his attempt to open doors for a WWE return

-- Major star leaves promotion and promotion puts sanctions on people wanting to work with him

-- Updates on plans for TNA X World Cup including surprising major office in talks

-- A few former WCW stars starting with AAA

-- Another Olympian scheduled for a pro wrestling show

-- Lots of major injury updates on top stars

-- A look back at one of Canada's all-time legends

-- Movie put together by a pro wrestler

-- Brooke Hogan reality show storyline idea

-- Winner of the Junior Hodge award

-- Update on TV star training for pro wrestling

-- More notes on TNA's future direction

-- UFC's latest major casualty

-- Major UFC PPV match pulled from show and why, including giving away idea for the main event for one of the last PPV shows of the year

-- A look at different matches and ideas UFC was trying to put together after Chuck Liddell was injured

-- Dana White talks Kimbo Slice

-- How UFC tickets for future shows are selling

-- Lots of new UFC matches

-- UFC starts with little publicity on a major network with a prime time weekly slot

-- A look at Male vs. Female viewership of several of the TV shows over the past week

-- Major star leads protest match against his bosses

-- A new concept for judging wrestling and bonuses tried out as a gimmick on a big show in a few weeks

-- A look back at the debut of pro wrestling at the arena that has drawn likely more fans than any other over the past 50 years

-- Mexico legend making a comeback

-- What is old is new again, and how wrestling promotions in the past successfully marketed big matches just like UFC today

-- More on the shooting of former wrestler Tom Urbanski in the incident that got so much publicity for Pacman Jones

-- Update on members of wrestling families and college football

-- Star shot for major magazine cover in the next few weeks

-- Major promoter explains why he's backed out of doing MMA

-- Top female fighter goes crazy

New subscribers ordering 24 or 40 issues have to let us know what major story (ies) of the past 11 years you are most interested in and we'll send the issue with the best coverage of that story. We've got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue. Our most requested issues in our history are:

* November 17, 1997 (full details of everything leading to the most famous wrestling match finish of modern times at the Survivor Series plus a history of in-ring double-crosses)

* December 21, 1998 (the complete Vince McMahon-Bret Hart conversation right before the Survivor Series match so you'll know exactly what was said

-- the conversation played in edited form both on the inaugural broadcast of Confidential as well as in Wrestling with Shadows, but everything that was said between the two about the match that was going to take place that same night)

* August 1, 1994 (the most detailed coverage anywhere of the Vince McMahon steroid trial, an issue praised in numerous newspaper article and Sex, Lies and Headlocks)

* March 26, 2001 (death of WCW and history of pro wrestling on the Turner networks)

* October 22, 2001 (why the adult audience has left pro wrestling in such great numbers and what needed to have been done to save them)

* July 8, 1991 (Ric Flair leaves WCW as world champion/Zahorian steroid trial)

* February 8, 1993 (the life and times of Andre the Giant)

* May 13, 2002 (the life story of the most incredible pro wrestling career ever, a look at Lou Thesz, in one of the largest issues of our history)

* January 27, 2003 (part one of the two-part series covering the career and life of The Sheik)

* February 3, 2003 (Part two on The Sheik including thoughts from people who worked with him and where he stands historically)

* March 24, 2003 (history of the WWWF title, inside behind the Sammartino, Backlund and Backlund era)

* April 21, 2003 (history of WWF continues with the expansion nationally, the death of the regional territories and the rise of Hulk Hogan)

* May 12, 2003 (The life and death of Elizabeth, and the rise of fall of Lex Luger)

* June 9, 2003 (Part 1 of history of WWF vs. WCW wars and what many say was the greatest year in U.S. wrestling; plus a look at Fred Blassie)

* June 16, 2003 (Freddie Blassie through the eyes of his biggest rivals and friends)

* July 28, 2003 (Part 2 of the history of the WWF vs. WCW war and the plans to make new superstars in the early 90s, what happened, and the night where the three biggest wrestling companies in the world combined for a joint show and what happened)

* August 25, 2003 (2003 Hall of Fame issue with huge profiles on the controversial career of Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit as well as historical features on Earl Caddock and Francisco Flores)

* September 22, 2003 (Part 3 of the history of the WWF vs WCW war with the seeds that caused the collapse of the industry in the 90s, Zahorian trial, Gulf War controversy, Flair leaves WCW while holding world title and much more)

* October 27, 2003 (The fascinating life of Stu Hart plus the story of Road Warrior Hawk)

* January 19, 2004 (2003 Awards issue)

* February 2, 2004 (History of Toronto wrestling, Jack Tunney life story, Royal Rumble and Battle Royal history)

* February 23, 2004 (History of Guerrero family with Eddy's win over Brock Lesnar)

* March 1, 2004 (History of WWF continues with the period that brought the company down in early 1992, the mistakes, the real stories and how the business changed)

* March 8, 2004 (History of Wrestlemania, its greatest matches and best and worst shows as voted both by wrestlers and non-wrestlers and Wrestlemania history books)

* July 5, 2004 (A look behind the scenes and Ric Flair's book and his background with Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan)

* July 12, 2004 (A look at more on Ric Flair's book and his comments on Bruno Sammartino, Bret Hart and Mick Foley)

* August 16, 2004 (History of the Olympians in pro wrestling)

* August 23, 2004 (2004 Hall of Fame issue and biggest issue of the year with huge profiles on Kazushi Sakuraba, Undertaker, Bob Backlund, Masahiro Chono, Ultimo Dragon, Kurt Angle and Tarzan Lopez

-- this counts as one issue if you are asking for a free issue, but ordered separately, due to size, is $6 in North America and $7 overseas)

* October 4, 2004 (the life and times of Big Bossman; as well as details of the life and times of one of the most influential men world wide in pro wrestling history, Jim Barnett)

* November 15, 2004 (the full story of what happened between Kurt Angle and Daniel Puder, plus coverage of the most important week in the history of TNA)

* January 24, 2005 (2004 Awards issue, Rock and WWE part company)

* March 14, 2005 (the 50 biggest money players in the history of WWF and a look at their Hall of Fame)

* May 9, 2005 (the life and times of Chris Candido)

* June 20, 2005 (The full story behind Paul Heyman and the death of ECW, as well as coverage of One Night Stand, Hardcore Homecoming and behind the scenes of both shows)

* July 18, 2005 (death of Shinya Hashimoto and his records with a look at the fall of New Japan, the Matt Hardy angle, tons of WWE firings, Cornette firing in detail as well as problems of a WWE developmental territory in our biggest news issue of the year which is a double-sized issue and would be $6 on its own and $7 overseas)

* August 24, 2005 (2005 Hall of Fame issue with career profiles of Paul Heyman, HHH and Freebirds plus debut of MMA Hall of Fame)

* September 12, 2005 (History of Mid South Wrestling)

* October 10, 2005 (Life and Times of the Ultimate Warrior)

* November 21, 2005 (Life and Times of Eddy Guerrero and Crusher, double issue $6 on its own and $7 overseas)

* December 5, 2005 (The Eddy Guerrero special issue, double issue $6 on its own, $7 overseas)

* January 9, 2006 (The life and times of Superstar Billy Graham, plus New Year's Eve 2005 coverage)

* January 16, 2006 (2005 Awards double issue, $6 or $7 overseas)

* April 3, 2006 (Story of Ann Calvello and the history of Roller Derby

-- many called this the best issue of the Observer ever)

* April 10, 2006 (Behind the scenes at the 2006 Wrestlemania/Hall of Fame week)

* July 24, 2006 (The History of the Von Erichs and World Class Championship Wrestling

-- the most unreal story ever in wrestling)

* September 4, 2006 (The Rise and Fall of Kurt Angle; 2006 Hall of Fame inductions of Eddie Guerrero, Paul Bower, Masakatsu Funaki, Aja Kong and Hiroshi Hase including tons of wrestling history around the world from the 20s through the 60s, the evolution of working to not working in Japan, and a look at Guerrero in hindsight, double issue $6 or $7 overseas)

* October 9, 2006 (A look back nine years later at the life and legacy of Brian Pillman with tons of inside information about what made him tick as his real objectives)

* November 15, 2006 (History of WCW part one, Eric Bischoff's book and how the industry was changed forever)

* November 20, 2006 (History of WCW part two, Why Jim Ross left WCW, How Bischoff changed the company, signing of Hulk Hogan, Beginning of Nitro, Jesse Ventura, Brian Pillman, Chris Jericho and signing Wrestlemania planned celebrity away)

* November 27, 2006 (History of WCW part three, When Bischoff challenged McMahon to fight; Truth and fiction around Bret Hart signing with WCW and why it didn't click

* December 6, 2006 (details behind Pride's offers to sell promotion and Part four of History of WCW part four, Hogan-Goldberg match and why there was no rematch, WCW loses NBC network deal in 1999 and the real reasons the company fell apart)

* January 22, 2007 (2006 Awards issue, double issue $7 on its own, $8 overseas)

* February 14, 2007 (Life and Times of Bam Bam Bigelow)

* March 5, 2007 (WWE begins plans that will change the business)

* March 12, 2007 (Life and Times of Mike Awesome)

* March 19, 2007 (Life and Times of Ernie Ladd)

* April 4, 2007 (Life and Times of Badnews Allen Coage

-- which many are calling one of the best issues in history)

* July 2, 2007 (Part one of the Benoit double murder-suicide)

* July 5, 2007 (Part two of the Benoit double murder-suicide)

* July 10, 2007 (Part three of the Benoit double murder-suicide)

* July 19, 2007 (Part four of the Benoit double murder-suicide)

* July 23, 2007 (Part five of Benoit double murder-suicide)

* July 25, 2007 (Part six of Benoit double murder-suicide)

* August 15, 2007 (The legend of the God of Japanese wrestling and his influence on MMA, Karl Gotch)

* October 15 (2007 Hall of Fame double issue, $7 on its own, $8 overseas including inductions of The Rock, Tom Packs and the original Strangler Lewis)

* November 12, 2007 (Life and times of Fabulous Moolah and history of U.S. women's wrestling) .

* December 31, 2007 (History of Ric Flair and the heyday of wrestling at the Greensboro Coliseum)

* January 21, 2008 (2007 Awards issue, double issue $7 on its own, $8 overseas)

* March 17, 2008 (Life and times of Johnny Weaver)

* March 24, 2008 (Life and times of Gary Hart)

* April 10, 2008 (Farewell to Ric Flair; My thoughts, Shawn Michaels talks of Flair's meaning to him; Hall of Fame; Wrestlemania double issue, $7 on its own, $8 overseas)

You can also order any of these issues on their own for $4 in North America or $5 overseas.

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For the United States, it is $12 for 4 issues, $29 for 12, $55 for 24, $91 for 40 and $118 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $13.50 for 4, $33 for 12, $61 for 24. $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it For the rest of the world, rates are $15 for 4, $41 for 12, $78 for 24, $126 for 40 issues and $163 for 52 . If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.

We now have available personally autographed copies of Tributes II, our latest book, as well as a DVD that comes with it talking more about the subjects in the book. The book covers the life stories of Lou Thesz, Wahoo McDaniel, Elizabeth, Fred Blassie, Road Warrior Hawk, Andre the Giant, Curt Hennig, Johnny Valentine, Davey Boy Smith, Terry Gordy, Owen Hart, Stu Hart, Gorilla Monsoon, The Sheik and Tim Woods. To get all of those biographies as back issues of the Observer would be a $60 value today. This is a collection of some of the best Observer articles of the past several years in a hardcover, full-color format that is 239 pages. There is also a foreword by Bret Hart. The book price is $12.95 plus $3.50 for shipping costs in the U.S., $10 for shipping costs to Canada and $12 for shipping costs outside North America. You can order the book the same way you order the newsletter.

-- Sorry for this report being late. My wife's foot got infected after surgery so we spent all day in the hospital and I just got back.

-- It is official that the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia match will be on 7/19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim and not in Dallas. The California State Athletic Commission approved the date today.

-- UFC and Spike, to counter Elite XC on CBS, are doing a special Chuck Liddell night head-to-head. They will get the jump at 8 p.m. airing Ultimate Knockouts 4. At 9 p.m. will be a one hour documentary called "Ultimate Iceman: Chuck Liddell" and at 10 p.m. will be the first airing of the Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell fight from 12/29. That explains why the fight didn't air as originally scheduled a few weeks back.

-- Great Khali claimed wrestling was real as part of all the pub he has gotten in India. "Everything whatever you see out there is real. Sometimes wrestlers receive serious injuries, and even die on the ring. There is no way of manipulation by media." He said he was surprised at his popularity when he returned home.

-- Owen Hart would have turned 43 today

-- Today is also the 16th anniversary of the press conference where Antonio Pena announced he was leaving CMLL and the formation of AAA

-- Kurt Angle will be the host of a new version of Candid Camera on Spike called "Caught in the Action."

-- Randy Couture will be hosting Operation Freedom Run starting at 8 a.m. on 5/17 at the Centennial Hills YMCA in Las Vegas. Runners will run alongside wounded veterans and military heroes. The Xtreme Couture GI Foundation has raised $147,000 to date. For more info you can go to www.xtremecouture.tv or call 702-616-1022

-- Today's New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/05/07/ has a story on UFC trying to get legalized in New York and Matt Serra sending out e-mails trying to rally support. Serra spoke to state officials yesterday in Albany.

-- The Times of India has a story on Steve Austin at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com Not really much to it although he claimed he was good buddies with Khali and would train together when they did "Longest Yard." He said they both accidentally walked into a women's bathroom together and the women went hysterical.

-- Florida Championship Wrestling from last night in New Port Richey: Mike Kruel b Mr. Yamamoto, Greg Jackson won Battle Royal for a Florida title shot, Matt Sydal b Sinn Bowdee, Big Rob b Shawn Spears-DQ, Colt Cabana b Jay Bradley, Atlas DaBone & Kevin Thorn b Afa Jr. & Upgrade Tyrone Jones, Jake Hager b Heath Miller to keep Florida title, Stu Sanders & Drew McIntyre b Eddie Colon & Eric Perez to win Florida tag titles

-- Poll on Raw for Monday Excellent 10.0% Good 16.6% Average 21.6% Fair 13.0% Poor 38.8% 21.0% of those responding didn't see the show. Worse reaction than usual, but no surprise because it wasn't much of a show.

-- In last week's cable ratings, thanks to the NBA, TNT beat out USA 2.3 to 1.8 for the top spot. Spike was No. 10 at 1.0 and Sci-Fi was No. 18 at 0.8. The two hours of Raw were No. 4 and no. 6 overall, trailing two episodes of Zoey and a Suns-Spurs playoff game. Raw's second hour was No. 5 (first was out of top ten) in 18-34. Hours were No. 4 and No. 9 in 18-34 and No. 2 and No. 7 in 25-54.

-- In the U.K. for the week ending 4/27, the live three-hour Raw did 33,000 viewers, and the Thursday replay did 41,000. Smackdown did 81,000 on its first airing and 33,000 for the replay. TNA and UFC didn't have any shows in the top ten on their stations. (thanks to Ian Hamilton)

-- Alex Marvez's latest wrestling column is at www.scrippsnews.com/node/32425 with an interview with DDP

-- WNTH in Connecticut ran a story last night about a nine-year old child who got to tour the WWE headquarters with Tommy Dreamer. The child is looking for adoption. He's an honor role student, bilingual and is suffering from diabetes

-- Former Bushwhacker Butch Miller announced New Zealand tryouts for WWE no 6/11 in Auckland sponsored by Rip Morgan's Kiwi Pro Wrestling. For more info you can go to www.kiwiprowrestnlig.co.nz

-- Josh Barnett and Dan Severn will be guests on Friday's Inside MMA on HD-Net (thanks to Joshua Sims)

-- Smackdown preemptions for Friday are Sacramento (airing 10 p.m. Friday) Hartford (8 p.m. Saturday) Rochester, NY (8 p.m. Saturday) Wilkes Barre, PA (8 p.m. Saturday) Syracuse (8 p.m. Saturday)

-- American Championship Entertainment at the ACE Arena in Union City, NJ on Saturday night at 8 p.m.

-- Liberty Wrestling Organization on Friday night in Elmwood Park, NJ at the American Legion Hall

-- In answer to a question if the Kevin Kelly who appeared on the AWA Classics show on Monday night was the same person who later became Nailz in the WWE, yes, the answer is they were the same person

-- Regarding why Kenny Florian is one of the people being pushed on the UFC show on Galavision, it is because his parents are from Peru (thanks to Mike Coughlin)

-- New England Championship Wrestling has one of its biggest events of the year on 5/31 with the Iron 8 tournament in Quincy, MA at the National Guard Armory with a tournament with Eddie Edwards, Gran Akuma, Kahagus, Brandon Locke, Scott Osbourne, Antonio Thomas, Kristian Frost and Julio Dinero

-- BritWres.com has a Pro Wrestling NOAH competition going featuring a Japanese language poster for the U.K. European Navigation tour in June. You can access the contest at www.britwres.com/news/212114868.shtml

-- GWA on 6/28 at the UAW Hall in Lima, OH

-- Jorge Evangelista of Fresno defends the Palace Fighting Championship featherweight title tomorrow night in Lemoore, CA against Art Arciniega in the main event of a show with four title matches

-- AWA World 1 South from Saturday night in Cordele, GA before 174 fans: T.J. Mack b Mister Saint Laurent, K.I. Elite b Hotshots, Tommy Rich & Chic Donovan b Doug Somers & Dennis Condrey, Kim Dakota b Mr. X, Steve Lawler b Q-Ball, Bug b Mike Pain, T.J. Mack b Chasyn Rance to keep AWA light heavyweight title, Larry Zbyszko b Ricky Landell to keep AWA heavyweight title

-- Rich Tate's Atlanta wrestling nostalgia 67 years ago today: Herb Freeman & Cowboy Luttrell (who later owned the Florida territory) beat Ralph Garibaldi & Dorv Roche with Jack Dempsey as special referee 54 years ago: Verne Gagne beat Hans Hermann in the main event. There was a wrestler named Harry Smith who worked in the semifinal 37 years ago: Ray Gunkel & Doug Gilbert & El Mongol beat Buddy Colt & The Assassins 34 years ago: Ernie Ladd & Thunderbolt Patterson beat Crusher Verdu & Mighty Yankee with Ron Pritchard (an NFL star) and Tommy Nobis (a Falcons linebacker who was one of the best in the league, considered just underneath Dick Butkus) as referees. This was a show promoted by Ann Gunkel 32 years ago: Terry Funk retained the NWA title against Dusty Rhodes and Mark Lewin went to a no contest with The Spoiler 30 years ago in Savannah: Blackjack Mulligan beat Ken Patera via DQ in the main event

-- A group in Joplin, MO is running a show called Xtreme Cage Fighting Brawl at the Hall on Friday night. The entire TV commercial is nothing but UFC footage, including the opening sequence on Unleashed. It doesn't specifically say it's a UFC show or anyone from UFC would be there, but anyone seeing the commercial would like assume such a thing (thanks to Anthony Sullivan)

-- Bob Calhoun's book "Beer, Blood and Cornmeal" by ECW press, about San Francisco's Incredibly Strange Wrestling, was no. 9 on the San Francisco Chronicle best seller list on Sunday

-- ROH on Friday night in Manassas, VA at the Sports Network and Fitness, Inc. has Roderick Strong & Rocky Romero & Davey Richards vs. Takeshi Morishima & Naomichi Marufuji & Go Shiozaki, Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black, Austin Aries vs. Erick Stevens, Jay Briscoe vs. Jimmy Jacobs, Nigel McGuinness vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brent Albright vs. Damien Wayne in a non-title match, Necro Butcher vs. Jack Evans, Chris Hero vs. Pelle Primeau and Rhett Titus & Rex Sterling vs. Mitch Franklin & Sean Denny

-- Tully Blanchard will be appearing at the Legends of the Ring 7 convention on 10/11 in Monroe, NJ at the Crowne Plaza

-- IWC on 5/17 in Elizabeth, PA at the Court Time Sports Center is headlined by Jake Roberts, plus a Dennis Gregory vs. Delirious and Jerry Lynn vs. Larry Sweeney match

-- Rey de Voladores, a King of High Flyers tournament takes place on the 5/17 CHIKARA Pro show in Hellertown, PA and announced so far are Psycho of K-Dojo, Lince Dorado, Helios, Incognito, Stupified and Dragon Gate's Turboman

-- Blake Bowman off last season's TUF fights on the Legends of Fighting show at the 8 Seconds Saloon in Indianapolis on 5/16

-- Shark Boy and ODB headline for Metro Pro Wrestling on 6/14 in Wyandotte, MI

-- Pro Wrestling Ohio has announced a show at the Plain Dealer Pavilion in Cleveland for August

-- Monday night in Puebla before 4,000 fans: King Jaguar & Forajido & Asturiano b Espiritu Maligno & Mr. Rafaga & Aguila Guerrera, Fuerza Chicana & Police Man & Furia Chicana b La Flecha & Tigre Rojo & Cerebro Negro-DQ, Amapola b Marcela to keep the CMLL women's title, Toscano & Sangre Azteca & Olimpico b Sagrado & Valiente & La Mascara, Mistico & Shocker & La Sombra b Mephisto & Ephesto & Damian 666-DQ (thanks to Steve "Dr. Lucha" Sims)

-- TroopSlam on Saturday night in Santa Clara, CA at the VFW 3982 featuring a special appearance of Steve Rizzono

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